Periodic inspection of school buildings mandatory: Delhi HC

New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Thursday ordered mandatory periodic inspection of all buildings and premises of government and private schools in the national capital to ensure the safety of students.

A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal directed that all schools, including those managed by the three municipal corporations of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Council as well as government, private and government-aided schools, shall carry out periodical inspections and submit quarterly reports to the Directorate of Education.

The directorate authorities were directed to set up zone-wise Special Task Forces to visit schools under their respective jurisdictions on a monthly basis and submit their reports to the directorate.

The court’s directions came on a public interest litigation for a probe into the death by drowning of two students in two schools this year.

On January 27, a four-year-old boy died after falling into an open sewer pit at the SDMC Primary School, Kapashera. Three days later, a six-year-old boy of Ryan International School, Vasant Kunj, was found dead in a water tank on the school premises.

Taking serious view of the death of the two minor students, the bench said: “The Executive Engineers of the municipal corporations concerned shall also visit the schools in their areas on a monthly basis and in case of any defects in relation to their fields, shall immediately take steps to ensure that the defects are rectified.”